Stupid new mouse

So, your new mouse has to go f*** itself?

Mine (Lenovo-IBM) is a wireless mouse has a little on-off lever-type switch next to the battery door on the bottom. Turning it off when not in use is what saves the batteries. Otherwise I'd be replacing them every 2-4 weeks.

I have a stylus mousie that lets me doodle.

Basically, yes, unless you forget. Then the batteries die.

I'd like to MicroSoft Business Plan Release 2012.
Bet it says something like jack up price on USB DooDads.
Wait for people to lose them.
Make lots of money.

I used a cordless mouse for several years. I got sick and tired of replacing batteries and went back to one with a cord.

Why o why didn't I ask first?

In fact, why didn't I rip the package open and check it out before I bought the thing.

I bought rechargeable batteries and keep the recharger on my desk because of that. It lessened the annoyance factor.

I've owned quite a few brands of cordless mice and so far, I've been happiest with my current one by Logitech. I think I have to recycle the batteries in it with the freshly charged ones about every two months or so.

Okay, I've got this baby all figured out. When you're done for a while, open it up and pull the batteries. In my day, they would have used a switch, but now that we're all high tech and stuff, we pull out the batteries. Ain't progress grand?

I am pretty sure this pulling out the batteries ritual is meaningless. You aren't significantly increasing battery life by doing this. My mouse (and I assume any other cordless mouse) turns itself after being motionless for a little while and doesn't turn itself back on until it is moved.

I love my cordless mouse and the batteries last months for me, it really isn't a problem. Having a mouse with a cord hanging off of it is a pain.

I did the same thing, Butrflynet. But the rechargeable batteries didn't last me that long. I tried 5 or 6 different cordless mice and several brands of rechargeable batteries. Still, having batteries die in the middle of a deadline project (it happened a lot) was a major annoyance. A cord on a mouse never bothered me. In fact, whenever the mouse slips off the back of my pull-out keyboard shelf and falls on the floor under my desk, it just makes it easier to retrieve.

Hubby kept bringing me different cordless mice...he's a geek and can't understand why I won't put up with the battery annoyances in order to have "the latest & greatest." HA!

That's a good one . . . there are a lot of gizmo addicted people . . .

My girlfriend* needed to buy a mouse in order to make her old laptop work. (The touchpad crapped out.) The super-duper ones were $23 and up, we got a little usb optical one with a retractable cord.

$9 and change.

Joe(all's well while she shops for a new Mac or a refurbished one)Nation

*I love saying that word

* And I love hearing that word. You deserve something good.

I didn't see anything in the literature that suggests it will turn itself off. I saw some that advertised the feature and probably assumed any of the better mice would do the same. They actually say that removing the plug from the USB port and clicking it into the body will prolong battery life. There really is a switch; it's just tucked inside the USB cavity, and can't be conviently tripped without the thingambob.

Remember the old story about "If cars were computers?" Your car would get 500 miles per gallon, zero to sixty in under four seconds, with a top speed approaching supersonic. If it were made by MicroSoft, it would also get hijacked every twenty miles, require a keyboard command to turn a corner, and crash three times a month. Now we discover that if we want to shut off the engine, we've got to pop the hood and pull the ignition wire.

Thanks for the answer. This is a MicroSoft 5000, if it makes any difference to anyone.

I know what you mean about techies. I used to have a boss that planned ahead for emergencies. He could use something like # - down arrow - 1 to speed dial 911. I never told him one took as many keystrokes as the other.

On one of my computers I've been using a Wireless Logitech Trackball for about 5 years now. Even with daily use the single AA battery usually lasts many months (4 to 6 months) before I have to replace it. At present it's attached to a MAC, but I suspect it would behave the same on a Windows machine.

I usually have good luck with Logitech equipment.

The Microsoft 5000 mouse has many bad reviews on CNET.

If you can, you might consider returning it to the store and exchange it for something you'll like better.

I am also using a Logitech wireless optical (although I don't have the fancy trackball kind). I also get 4 to 6 months with a single AA battery and I have a couple of spare batteries in my desk drawer.

I have gotten used to not having a pesky cord attached to my mouse.

Awww, girlfriend! Yay JoeNation.

I have a cordless Apple mouse, adore the thing. I change the batteries maybe once a month? I have rechargeable ones but the whole thing only takes maybe a minute total.

One thing that's nice about this setup (iMac and cordless Apple mouse) is that I get a warning when batteries are low. That is usually about 30-60 minutes of use before they go kerplooey. So if I'm in the middle of something I can just finish, then change -- or if I'm not in the middle of something I just change it right then. (In practice I usually let it use up all of the possible juice and then take the minute to change it.)

I'm on the computer a LOT (work-work plus volunteer work plus taking breaks from the previous two by goofing around here and on Facebook plus reading a bazillion political blogs and and and), this works well for me though.

I'm allergic to cords so esthetically I love it. Just got a new desk with a hole in it for cords to go through and a gorgeous little hidden ledge at the back, my whole desk area is now virtually cord-free (cordless mouse, cordless keyboard, about 6 inches of cords visible if I crane around behind the iMac to look, otherwise usually invisible, including from far away, no cords visible under the desk either), and I think it's increased my productivity by at least 25%.

Why yes, I AM a weirdo.